Varsity and UNIDO Holds Sustainable Energy Training

From Left: Brenda Okung’u from the Council of Governors, Prof. Thiong’o, Ms. Jackline Kegode of UNIDO and Mr. Paul Harris of UNIDO follow proceeding during the closing ceremony

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in collaboration with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) held a three day training workshop on sustainable energy planning, November 29 – December 1, 2016.

The training dubbed ‘Sustainable Conversion of Waste to Clean Energy for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reduction in Kenya’ brought together over 40 participants drawn from various counties with the aim of building their capacity to assess their energy needs, available renewable energy resources and to develop and initiate clean energy projects for productive use.

In a speech read during the closing of the training by the Dean, School of Physical Science, Prof. George Thiong’o, Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mabel Imbuga acknowledged that as a continent we face a myriad challenges in the energy sector, from inadequate generation capacity, limited electrification, low power consumption, high energy costs to unplanned power cuts that causes disruption in economic activity.

She said it was important to make use of the substantial renewable energy such as hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass and biofuels which are variably distributed across the continent.

A section of the participants during the training

“Our counties are endowed with natural resources which can easily be converted into renewable energy and this training has indeed played a major role in the assessment of our counties energy needs and available renewable energy resources,” acknowledged Prof. Imbuga.

While thanking UNIDO for the collaboration, Prof. Imbuga said the JKUAT/UNIDO collaboration was in line with the country’s energy development agenda as enshrined in Vision 2030 and will play a vital role in the reduction of carbon footprint and release of greenhouse gas emission in the counties.

To aid in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Number 7, Affordable and Clean Energy, Prof. Imbuga said JKUAT established the Institute for Energy and Environmental Technology to carry out research and training in energy and environmental technology. The establishment of the institute rose from the need for rational management of energy, natural resources and the environment at large.

The participants pose for a group photo

The training, a follow-up training on a training held in August this year, concentrated on energy planning for the introduction of practical based energy solutions that identifies with renewable energy resources available in each of the 47 counties, envisaging strengthening the county energy personnel with skills and information on available opportunities to develop sustainable energy initiatives and energy policies.